Railway



(No Model.)

T.'JAMES. RAILWAY. No. 498,274. I Patented May 30, 1893.

WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS JAMES, OF BRADDOOK, PENN SYLVANIA.

RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,274, dated May 30, 1893.

Application filed May 11, 1892.

To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS JAMES, of Braddock, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which the figure illustrates in side elevation a portion of an inclined railway provided with my improved tilting bridge.

It consists in the construction and arrange ment of the parts as hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claim.

In the drawing, in which similar numerals indicate corresponding parts, 2 indicates a portion of the track of an inclined railway, above which upona pair of side standards 3 is pivoted the swinging bridge at. This bridge, which is in the form of atruss, is trunnioned at its center as shown, and provided with longitudinally-extending rails which are in line with the track rails and are beveled at each end so as to direct the car from or to the trackrails. Stops 11 are provided at either end of the bridge which serve to support the ends of the bridge and prevent bending of the beveled ends of the rails.

5 represents the stand or support for the car when at its uppermost position, and 6 the driving engine which operates the cars by means of the winding drum 7. The cars 8 and 9 are connected by the rope 10 in the usual manner, so that as one car moves up the incline the other descends, the drawing showing in full lines the car 9 descending and just passing upon the bridge, while the car 8 is ascending and passing beneath the raised lower end of the bridge. As the car 9 de- Serial No. 432,671. (No niodel.)

scends and reaches the center of the bridge, it automatically tilts the same into parallelism with the track, as shown in dotted lines, the car 8 then being beneath the trunnions. As the car 9 descends still farther the bridge tilts downwardly until its rails rest at their lower ends upon the track rails, when it then moves downwardly upon the same to its lowermost position, the car 8 passing to the upper station. When the winding drum is operated in the opposite direction, the car 8 may ride over the bridge, or the same may be tilted back into the position of the figure, the cart) then riding downwardly over the same.

The advantages of my device are apparent. Only a single track is used where before two tracks were necessary, and thus the cost of building and keeping in order is generally reduced.

The device is simple and easily and cheaply constructed. v It is evident that either car desired may pass over the bridge, or they may alternate, and that they may themselves automatically actuate the bridge or auxiliary devices may be employed to tilt the same.

What I claim is I The combination with a track and a swinging bridge'supported above the same, of two cars having a flexible connection with each other and arranged to automatically operate the bridge; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of May, A. D. 1892.

THOMAS JAMES.

Witnesses:

W. B. OoRwIN, O. BYRNES. 

